Andrew winteebuen



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW WINTEEBUEN, oE ALBANY, NEW vonk.

GUARD-FINGER FOB REAPINGiMACHINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,473, dated June 27,1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ANDREW WINTEEBUEN, of Albany, in the county of Albanyand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in theConstructionV of Guard- Fingers or Knife-Guards for Mowiug or ReapingMachines, which are simple in construction, more d urable, andmanufactured at far less cost than others, and possess furtheradvantages, which will be set forth Vin the following specication.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing a guard-finger orknife-guard with a chamber or cavity under the slot or opening in thesame, (through which the knives or cutters play,) and subsequentlycastinginto said chamber or cavity white iron, which is poured against achill that lls said slot or opening, thereby producing the hardest knownsurface for the knives or cutters to slide upon, and keeping thecutting-edges from Wearing away or becoming dull from friction orobstructions, (whichis the case with other guard-fingers, even whenfilled with steel,) while at the same time said guard-tin gers orknife-guards may be made of the toughest malleable or gray iron, which,if chilled in the first process of casting, might become brittle. Evenwhen the bearing surface is filled with steel the edges have to bepounded down or riveted, which is a tedious process, and they are liableto be sprung loose afterward, while by my arrangement of illing thechamber or cavityby casting White iron in the same an even and uniformsurface is produced in all.

The manner of moldingand casting the white chilled iron into the chamberor cavity is accomplished in the following manner: A duplicate patternprovided with points to receive the chill is molded and withdrawn, andthe guard-finger or knife-guard is then laid in the impression made bysaid duplicate pattern, with the chamber or cavity open and ready toreceive the white iron, which is poured in after the ask is closed.

I have tested my invention by manufacturing many guard-fingers orknifeguards,which give the satisfactory results mentioned.

Having thus set forth the nature of my improvement, and to enable othersskilled in the art to make and use the same, I will now describe it andcertify that the accompanying of the same through the chamber or cavity,'y

represented empty; Fig. 4, the same looking toward the point,represented filled.

A is the guard-finger or knife-guard; B, the slot or opening in the samethrough which the knives or cutters play; C, the chamber or cavity castin the same, projecting beyond the slot or opening B, and forming ashoulder, D, at the forward end and toward the point ot' saidguard-finger or knife-guard A, and a shoulder, E, projecting beyond theback end of slot or: opening B, to keep the white iron in its place,which runs up against a chill-plate, level with the lower side of slotor opening B, (indicated by red dotted lines in section, Fig. 2 5) F,the

flange which secures the guard-linger or knife` guard to the linger-bar.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Constructing the guard-linger or knife-guard A with the chamber orcavity B and casting hard metal in said cavity or chamber, substantiallyin the manner and for the purpose described.

ANDREW WINTERB URN.

Witnesses:

W. S. KELLEY, FRANCIS H. Woons.

